Sony Announces PS3 3D Display Release Date & Features

PS3 owners were ripe with excitement and full of questions at E3 earlier this year, when Sony’s 3D display for the PlayStation was unveiled. The big question was the release date, which has now been made official by Sony: November 13th

When gamers purchase the display for $499.99, they will receive the 3D display, one pair of 3D glasses, the MotorStorm Apocalypse Blu-ray game, and an HDMI cable. Obviously, one must have a PS3 already at home.

The 3D display, which supports any resolution up to and including 1080p (1920 x 1080), also works just fine as a 2D display, allowing gamers to watch their favorite movies in high-definition or play games in HD.

The display supports both active 3D technology and passive 3D technology, though differentiating between the two can be confusing. The main difference is the 3D resolution: active 3D also supports full HD playback and requires active 3D glasses. Passive 3D only supports half the resolution of active and requires the use of polarized passive 3D glasses.

One of the unique features of the display is SimulView. The SimulView enables multiple players to each enjoy their own display on the same television. Traditionally, the screen is split in half when two players sit down to battle it out. However, with SimulView, each player receives their own full 2D HD screen while wearing the 3D glasses. Basically, you’re getting two screens in one.

Currently, SimulView is only available on this 3D display and is not a function of other Sony 3D televisions. All that’s required to use this very unique feature is two sets of 3D glasses and a PS3 game that supports this feature (and obviously an opponent). On launch day, players will be able to use this feature withMotorStorm Apocalypse, Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, and Super Stardust HD.

Sony is promising 3D support for older games, though information on specific titles is not known at this point. There are currently 35 games available to play in full 3D, with eight more titles in the works. The PlayStation Video Store supports stereoscopic 3D films, and currently has 18 titles to choose from. And of course, any 3D Blu-ray will play on the display as well.

Home 3D systems are becoming more common, though the price might make it a novelty for most gamers. The biggest drawback that this display (or any 3D system) faces is its use is limited to the number of 3D glasses the owner has. Coming in at $69.99, Sony’s glasses might be more affordable than the typical 3D glasses on the market, but that is still $69.99 per pair. It’s a hard sell to invest more capital into additional pairs of glasses – heck, it almost makes you want to charge guests for playing games or watching movies at your house. Good luck with those friends coming back over.

All that said, get this display and you are almost guaranteed to have the best setup on the block. Maybe even for two blocks.

Will you be picking up the PlayStation 3D Display this November? Do you think home 3D systems are worth the investment?